Rudd to hold asylum seeker talks with PNG
Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd will attempt to kick-start negotiations with Papua New Guinea on a possible asylum seeker deal as the government faces continued pressure on delays in its swap agreement with Malaysia. Speaking on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Bali on Thursday, Mr Rudd said he would meet with his counterpart from Papua New Guinea, Ano Pala, over the coming days. But he also played down the possibility of any real headway being made in a possible deal with Papua New Guinea. "Given the political circumstances in Port Moresby at the moment and the possibility of a transition to new political leadership in Port Moresby, we have to be cautious as to how we proceed with that," Mr Rudd said. "But I stand ready to assist in whatever human way I can between now and the 1st of August," he added, referring to surgery he will undergo next month to replace his aortic valve. The future of the government in Papua New Guinea remains unclear following the reti